Honey-derived Exosome Research and Application

Honey-derived exosomes are isolated from the bee-collected nectar or secretions, which are sweetened and stored in the hive after sufficient brewing. As a product isolated from honey, a natural sweetener, honey exosomes contain many nutrients that are beneficial to the development of living organisms. Creative Biolabs can assist in the study of honey-derived exosomes and expand their promising applications through a proven exosome research platform.

Honey-derived Exosome Components

Carries glucose and fructose from honey that can be directly absorbed by the body, as well as various amino acids.
The types of minerals encapsulated are similar to those contained in human serum.
Also includes enzymes related to sugar metabolism in honey such as glucose oxidase, glucokinase, and fructokinase, as well as a number of enzymes and active substances related to bee immunity, such as lysozyme, glucose oxidase, and catalase.
Since their donor comes from a pooled brew of various types of nectar collected by bees, their chemical compositions are to some extent highly diverse, yet have been verified to carry compounds that are beneficial to health.

Honey-derived Exosomes Functions

Honey-derived exosomes exhibit antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties that neutralize and reduce infections brought on by pathogens and harmful substances.
Exosomes from honey also have antioxidant properties that scavenge free radicals from the body, thereby protecting it from oxidative damage.
Honey-derived exosomes also help maintain the body's internal physiological balance, promote wound healing, improve digestion, and boost immunity, among other things.

Fig. 1 Nanovesicles and their effectiveness identified in bee products.¹

Research and Potential Applications of Honey-derived Exosomes

As products of natural sweetener sources, honey exosomes can be used as additive agents to help maintain stable blood glucose levels and reduce the risk of diseases associated with blood glucose abnormalities.
The results of antimicrobial characterization studies showed that honey exosomes inhibited Staphylococcus aureus and its biofilm. This suggests that honey exosomes can be applied as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory adjuvants to study their efficacy in infectious diseases and inflammation.
The effect of honey exosomes on the function of the digestive tract in absorbing nutrients can be investigated by administering honey exosomes orally to model mice to understand the outcome of the honey exosomes on the digestive system and intestinal flora.
The activity of honey exosomes in promoting the migration of mesenchymal stem cells and wound healing has also been demonstrated. It is shown that honey exosomes can be considered biomaterials to support the development of more skin care formulations related to skin moisturization and anti-aging.

Fig. 2 Exosomes isolated from bee products promote mesenchymal stem cell migration.²

Distinguished from other exosomes isolated directly from flowers, honey-derived exosomes are potentially beneficial as they are derived from a specialized product made from bee-collected nectar and secretions. However, further research is desirable to gain insight into its specific functions and applications. Creative Biolabs is capable of providing customized pilot study protocols related to honey-derived exosomes for such purposes. Please contact us to learn more.

References

Schuh, Christina MAP, et al. "Exosome-like vesicles in Apis mellifera bee pollen, honey and royal jelly contribute to their antibacterial and pro-regenerative activity." Journal of Experimental Biology 222.20 (2019): jeb208702.
Peršurić, Željka, and Sandra Kraljević Pavelić. "Bioactives from bee products and accompanying extracellular vesicles as novel bioactive components for wound healing." Molecules 26.12 (2021): 3770.

Plant Exosome Isolation